Call for Papers
The Business History Society of Japan and the European Business History Association arepleased to announce a call for papers.

2nd World Congress on Business History
24th Congress of the European Business History Association“Business History in a Changing World”
Thursday, September 9th – Saturday, September 11 th, 2021, Online
As you might be aware, due to the Covid-19 pandemic the congress had to be postponed to9-11 September 2021 and will take place online (initially it was planned to take place inJapan in September 2020). Therefore, the Call for Papers has been re-opened and we are
happy to receive new proposals until January 15th, 2021.

As we entered the final decade of the twentieth century a shared sense of optimism andcertainty towards the twenty first century pervaded. The triumph of liberal democracy waslauded and the march towards economic integration and globalization relentless. However,as we approach the end of the second decade of the twenty first century, several events anddevelopments have tempered such optimism. The rise of China as the “workshop of theworld” has had economic implications across the globe and challenged conventional modelsof industrialization and the prerequisite governing institutions to bring about that process.
Several crises have beset national and global economies in recent memory, including thefinancial crisis following the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the rise of neo-nationalism andpopulism, “lost decades” of economic growth, the fallout from 9-11, and Brexit, to name but
a few. Furthermore, looming challenges associated with demographic transition,technological and climate change shroud the prospects of our future society and economy
with a degree of uncertainty, casting into doubt what once seemed the inevitable path
towards political democratization and economic globalization. Rather than witnessing any “endof history”, understanding change over time remains of central importance to our discipline
and wider society. We therefore call on Business Historians to come together and examine“Business History in a Changing World” during the 2nd World Congress on Business History
to be held in Nagoya, on September 9-11, 2021.
Reflecting the ever-changing world of business, the discipline of Business History has been
far from static. In recent decades there has been a dramatic diversification in both research
topics and methods following on from the now classic works of Chandler et al. The1

emergence of research relating to alternative historical approaches and organizational
science, and those which incorporate quantitative methods and/or embraces the “culturalturn”; the institutionalization of Business History research with the establishment ofacademic societies and academic journals; the internationalization of the field, etc., are allencouraging trends in the evidence of a vibrant research field. The program committee thus
welcomes papers/panels from postgraduate, early career and established scholars on awide-range of topics and various dimensions of “Business History in a Changing World”
these include, but are not limited to:● Competitiveness and its determinants● The role of local and central government in economic change● The role of family, small- and medium-sized firms and industrial clusters in therevitalization of economies● Changing cultures of capital and finance and their impact on companies andstakeholders● Skills formation, technical training and labour in local and international business● The impact of information technology and artificial intelligence● Radical technological innovation and incremental improvement.
● Business portfolios and organizational forms across time and space● The causes and consequences of domestic/cross-border M&A● Nationalization and privatization in historical perspective● The relationship between capital markets and business● Varieties of corporate governance● The evolution of monitoring systems and incentive schemes (ownership, board andcompensation schemes)● Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Social Governance in businesshistory● Methodology and disciplinary bases of business history● Historiography of business history
Papers with other foci, however, will also be considered.
The organizers also welcome submissions with alternative formats, such as workshops,
roundtable debates/discussions, and poster presentations. In such cases, submissions
should be sent directly to the organizers.
The EBHA best dissertation prize will be organized during the congress.

Submission Formats
There are three typical submission formats:
1. Single paper submissions from which the program committee arranges panels.
22. Session proposals submissions consisting of 3-5 papers on a specific theme suggested by
the applicants themselves.
3. Tracks of more than one session (up to three sessions—over the course of oneafternoon)

Alternative formats might include, for example:● Workshops, groups of scholars who want to use the opportunity of the congress tomeet and discuss publications or specific themes. (Note: All materials to be discussed
during individual workshops must be uploaded to the conference website at least
three weeks before the congress.)● Roundtable discussions on the state of the field and selected aspects of businesshistory.
● Debates on new research agendas and new approaches to teaching “businesshistory.”

The deadline for proposals is January 15, 2021
Please use the congress upload platform: http://ebha.org/public/C10

Local organizer:
Business History Society of Japan

Program Committee:
Pierre-Yves Donzé (EBHA)
Andrea Lluch (AEHA)
Andrea H. Schneider (GUG)
Takashi Shimizu (BHSJ)
Teresa da Silva Lopes (BHC)

More information on the World Congress on Business History can be found underwww.worldcbh.org
Follow us on facebook: @WorldCBH

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